Geitz to train with Diamonds squad

NETBALL: Laura Geitz has been invited to join the Australian netball squad as a training partner at a camp in Canberra starting on Thursday.

It marks the former Diamonds captain's return to training with the national team after giving birth to her first child, son Barney, last February and is her first involvement with the Australian squad since May 2016.

It also keeps alive her hopes of representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April.

Laura Geitz. Photo: Peter Wallis

Diamonds head coach Lisa Alexander said Geitz had been called up for the training camp after impressing during the Queensland Firebirds' pre-season.

"This provides an opportunity for her to return to the Diamonds environment and test herself in our match conditions," Alexander said.

"This camp will play a part in our selection of the Commonwealth Games team, so it was important for us to see Laura in action."

Geitz has 64 Test caps and captained the Diamonds to gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and the Netball World Cup the following year.

Laura Geitz and Romelda Aiken. Photo: Tim Marsden

This week's training camp is the last before a 14-strong Diamonds squad, of which Geitz is not a part, will travel to England and then South Africa for the Netball Quad Series starting on January 20.

It will be the Diamonds' final Test series before the Commonwealth Games.